The Articles of Confederation represented the Americans' distrust of
Responses
A states rights.states rights.
B any governing authority.any governing authority.
C universal voting rights.universal voting rights.
D a strong central government.
A states rights.
D a strong central government.
The correct answer is D: a strong central government.
To understand why the Articles of Confederation represented the Americans' distrust of a strong central government, we need to examine the historical context and the intentions behind the creation of the Articles.
During the American Revolutionary War, the colonists fought against what they perceived as the tyranny of the British monarchy and its strong central government. As a result, there was a widespread sentiment among the American states to establish a government that ensured individual liberties and protected against the concentration of power.
The Articles of Confederation, drafted in 1777 and ratified in 1781, established a loose confederation of the thirteen states. Under the Articles, the states retained a significant degree of sovereignty, while the central government had limited power. For example, the central government lacked the authority to tax or regulate commerce effectively, and there was no executive or judicial branch of government at the national level.
This limited central government structure was a reflection of the Americans' deep-seated distrust of concentrated power. They feared that a strong central government could potentially become oppressive, as they had experienced under British rule. Thus, the Articles of Confederation were intentionally designed to create a weak central government, with the aim of protecting individual rights and preventing the abuse of power.
However, the weaknesses of the Articles, such as the lack of a strong central authority to address national issues, became increasingly apparent. This led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, resulting in the drafting and eventual ratification of the United States Constitution, which established a more balanced framework with a stronger central government while still safeguarding individual liberties through a system of checks and balances.